now free to all, but no gold having been obtained, except from natives, the royal intent was defeated; it was ordered, therefore, that the privilege should be annulled. Frauds against the treasury, in non-payment of tribute, secretion of moneys, and unauthorized loans, must be investigated, and in order to protect the custom-house revenue the three crown-officers were to reside at Vera Cruz, each in turn, an, conjointly with a regidor and the justice of that city, appraise all cargoes in the presence of a notary.[1]
Meanwhile fresh complaints of Guzman and the oidores continued to arrive, until it seemed that their sole aim had been to disobey every instruction given to them. The newly appointed oidores had been for some time at Seville,[2] and were now hurried away. They sailed on the 16th of September, 1530, with orders to touch at Santo Domingo so that their president might join them, but on account of stormy weather they were unable to obey these instructions, and landed at Vera Cruz at the end of the year.[3] With them went several persons appointed to office, and others on whom the emperor had conferred honors for distinguished services.[4] The report of the coming of the new audiencia, so long expected in Mexico, had been
- ↑ Many of the instructions are mere repetitions of those issued to the firs audiencia, and others are trivial. They are all to be found in Puga, Cedulario, 38 et seq.; Herrera, dec. iv. lib. vii. cap. viii. Many are incorporated in the general laws of Recop. de Indias, Zamora, Bib. Leg. Ult., and Montemayor, Svmarios. The ordinances for the government of the audiencia were similar to those given to the previous body. See also Fonseca, Hist. Hacienda, i. ii. v.; Gonzalez Dávila, Teatro Ecles., i. 24. Puga's work, properly entitled Philipus Secundus, etc., Provisiones, Cedulas, Instrumentos, etc., Mexico, 1563, is remarkable as the first law-book printed in America, and perhaps the first American book of any practical value, the earlier specimens of typography, of which I have several, being chiefly ecclesiastic treatises.
- ↑ During their stay in that city one of them belied his reputation for discretion by meriting a reproof on the part of the India Council for communicating to an officer of the India house a certain royal order. Herrera, dec. iv. lib. vii. cap. viii.
- ↑ 'Nous arrivàmes ici le 23 décembre,' at Mexico, evidently. Letter of audiencia, in Ternaux-Compans, Voy., série 11. tom. v. 138.
- ↑ Among those to whom the privilege of using coats of arms had been granted were Gerónimo Lopez, Juan de Búrgos, Hernando Gomez, Ruy Gonzalez, and García del Pilar. Id. All of these persons could not have accompanied the audiencia; the last named, as we shall see, was serving at the time as interpreter to Guzman in Jalisco.
